Tanka poems
Translated by Geoffrey Bownas and Anthony Thwaite
Poems from p569-570 in World Literature textbook
“I Waited and I”—Princess Nukada
I waited and I
Yearned for you.
My blind
Stirred at the touch
Of the autumn breeze
“The End of My Journey”—Oshikochi Mitsune
The end of my journey
Was still far off,
But in the tree-shade
Of the summer mountain
I stood, my mind floating
“Now, I Cannot Tell”—Ki Tsurayuki
Now, I cannot tell
What my old friend is thinking:
But the petals of the plum
In this place I used to know
Keep their old fragrance.
“How Helpless My Heart!”—Ono Komachi
How helpless my heart!
Were the stream to tempt,
My body, like a reed
Severed at the roots,
Would drift along, I think.
“Every Single Thing”—Priest Saigyo
Every single thing
Changes and is changing
Always in this world.
Yet with the same light
The moon goes on shining.